New home to be made out of shipping containers

Inspired by the tiny home movement, one group in Cedar Rapids is looking to build homes while reusing shipping containers.

"We're in there reusing, repurposing. These would be scraped out and we're making habitats out of them," Fred Zehr, one of Cargohab's founders, said.

But the newly found company, Cargohab, is starting big with its first build, an entire home built out of mostly the shipping containers. On Monday, the group brought in four containers for the build stacking them two-by-two.

The home will be 1,800 square feet. They'll also be building an addition to the side of the home where bathrooms will go.

Zehr said though the home will feature an industrial look on the exterior, the inside can be as upscale as anyone chooses it to be.

One reason for using shipping containers is that they provide durability and only cost $3,000-$4,000 per used container.

"They're virtually indestructible.They're made to travel around the world and these containers behind me have been all around the world. When we get them, they're designed to be hurricane proof, water proof," Zehr said.

The home is expected to be finished in October and will be on display for the Cedar Rapids Parade of Homes.

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